We recently returned from an Alaska cruise with our friends and I’m happy to report that we had an amazing time!  This post will cover “Part 1” of our trip: Seattle, Embarkation day and a day At Sea.

I’ll pick up where I left off from my previous post “Alaska Cruise planning for People with Disabilities” to give you an update on how things actually went vs. what we planned for. I’ll also share with you a few other tips that might help you plan a cruise to Alaska, such as accessibility challenges and other considerations, when traveling with a person with disabilities.  And of course, all the fun stuff there is to do!

We went in October 2023 on the Norwegian Bliss through Norwegian Cruise Lines.  We stayed in Seattle on Friday and the cruise was from Saturday to the following Saturday.  This is one of the last Alaska cruises offered until spring because October is the very beginning of the winter season in Alaska.  The cost savings for cruises in October are significant compared to the peak summer months.  The reason is because the weather is cooler and wetter and many of the shore excursions are closed for the season.  Although not ideal for some, there is still plenty to enjoy and we had a very positive experience!  We made sure to dress appropriately for the weather and stayed warm and dry while we were out and about.  Driving, bus and train tours were still available and that worked great for us due to Caitlin’s limited mobility.  Also, we were the only cruise ship in all the ports so it wasn’t crowded with people when walking around the towns.

We came in a day earlier than our cruise departure because we didn’t want to be rushed or miss the ship should our flight be delayed.  We also wanted to have some to time to explore Seattle since we’ve never visited before.  We had an early morning, direct flight from Detroit to Seattle.  An early check-in at the hotel worked out perfect because we were able to drop off our luggage and freshen up a little after our full morning of travel.  We didn’t really have a firm sight-seeing plan for Seattle and decided to do a walking tour.  It was a warm, sunny day and being outside felt great after spending the morning cooped up in an airplane.

Our first stop was the Olympic Sculpture Park.  This was about a 0.6 mile walk or 15 minutes southwest from where we were staying at the Fairfield Inn Downtown Seattle.  The sidewalks were smooth and flat for most of the way so it was pretty easy rolling as we pushed Caitlin in her transport chair.  But about 2 blocks from the park, the street becomes very, very steep and we had to hold on tight to Caitlin’s chair as we shuffled slowly down to the park entrance.  The park is a wide-open space with sweeping views of Elliott Bay.  We meandered our way on the hard packed gravel path stopping periodically to admire the huge sculptures and interesting art displays that were dispersed around the park.  The path led us to a boardwalk along the water’s edge where we continued our stroll to Pier 70 where we took the opportunity to rest in a couple of comfy chairs.

From there we continued south on the waterfront side of Alaskan Way heading toward the Pike Place Market which was about another 0.6 miles or 15-minute walk.  It was a smooth walk/roll with expansive water views, colorful murals and boat marinas.  We passed Pier 66 where we were going to be embarking from the next day.  We stopped in front of the Seattle Aquarium and beyond that you can see the Seattle Great Wheel.  It was at this point we needed to make our way up one block to get to Pike Place Market.  Since we were at the water level it was way too steep to push Caitlin back up the block to get to Western Ave or Pike Place which is the main part of the market.  So, from Alaskan Way we walked to a parking garage which is on the backside of the market and there we found elevators to take us up to the main level.

Pike Place Market was bustling!  We had an energizing experience being among happy customers, surrounded by cheery music while capturing whiffs of delightful smells.  We strolled slowly past the eclectic collection of food vendors and small shops wishing we had more room in our suitcases to take home their unique offerings.  A lot of the eateries in the market are counter-service with hi-top seating or no seating at all which didn’t work well for us.  We ended up at Pike Place Bar & Grill, a quaint old and all original restaurant.  We snacked on a seafood platter and salmon dip and sampled a couple of local brews.  They also have a private bathroom which was clean and convenient.  There’s a lot to see and working our way thru the narrow aisle ways and crowds of people took some patience.  The market was founded in 1907 and I could tell that it was not originally designed with accessibility in mind and had been retrofitted over the years.  Elevators are available throughout to get you to the main levels.  But there are some areas where there are steps to get to the shops.

Our friends had traveled on a later flight than us and were going to be arriving at the hotel soon.  We had walked enough for the day and called an Uber to take us back to the hotel to meet up with them.  We spent the remainder of the day together wandering the Seattle Center area.  It was a beautiful evening and the area was busy with tourists and concert-goers heading to a show at Climate Pledge Arena.  We visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. The sculptures are very large, colorful and complex. The museum has a small theatre where we watched a short documentary of the history and the process of making the sculptures…it was fascinating!  Not only do I admire the artist’s vision but also his ability to bring it to life!  The museum is completely accessible. 

Next, we walked over to the Armory.  Inside there are several food vendors and some shops. It’s a good place to get a quick bite to eat and use the restroom.  We had a snack and margaritas at the Mexican restaurant.  The Space Needle was closing soon so we viewed it from the ground up.  We ended the evening with a nightcap at The 5 Point Cafe.  This is an iconic dive bar that is open 24 hours.    The place is pretty small and there wasn’t enough room inside for our large party.  It was fine though because the weather was good and we enjoyed our drinks at the outside patio.  The bathrooms are not accessible and pretty icky, as expected for a dive bar!

The next day was Saturday a.k.a. Embarkation Day!  I was able to choose an arrival time window when I checked in for the cruise a couple of weeks earlier and it was between 12 – 12:30. This gave us time to have a hearty breakfast at the hotel.  We also squeezed in a little more sightseeing of the Amazon Spheres and the surrounding city blocks.  It’s hard to believe the humble beginnings of Amazon when strolling around the massive campus headquarters. 

We booked a private shuttle for the 10-minute ride from the hotel to the dock.  It dropped us off right in from of the cruise ship terminal at the baggage stations.  From there it’s a short walk around the corner where the lines are to enter the check-in area.  There is a separate line to the right with a large sign for people needing Special Assistance.  This helped because the area had more space to navigate with wheelchairs or scooters and it was quieter and less hectic.  There were employees directing us to the elevators and different stations which made the process easier and less confusing.  The ramps up to the boat are not too steep but enough that it took extra effort to push Caitlin in her seat.  Once on board, we had to check in at our emergency station.  Ours was easy to remember because it was in the casino.

Once on board our first stop was lunch.  All the activity of the morning had us needing to re-fuel.  Choosing a seat by the window, we cherished our last views of the Seattle skyline before we were to head out to sea at 5pm.  After lunch, we had more time to spare since our rooms were not going to be ready until around 3pm.  We lounged on the deck soaking in the sun on this warmer than usual Seattle afternoon.  It would have been nice to cool off in the pool but we didn’t have access to our luggage where our bathing suits were packed (next time I’ll be sure to put them in our backpack!).  When the sun got too hot, we found a seat at the outdoor shower where the cool water sprinkled over our toes.  Next, we headed to the shade of Spice H20, the open-air bar at the aft of the ship, for a Bon Voyage toast!

Promptly at 3pm, the announcement was made that our rooms were ready!  We had stateroom 9730 which is a regular balcony stateroom, not wheelchair accessible.  I had read the Accessible Cruising information and knew that the entry door was a very narrow 26 inches wide and made sure to measure Caitlin’s transport seat.  To get in our room Caitlin had to get out of her seat so that we could fold it up to get inside.  It was a minor inconvenience for us. It would not be possible to roll a wheelchair or scooter inside the room if it were wider than 26 inches which I believe most are.  Our room was a little different set up then pictured in my other post because the bed was near the exterior glass door and not near the closet.  This actually worked out better because it gave us more space in front of the closet, bathroom and entry door. I also called housekeeping right away and they brought a shower seat.  The bathroom was a small space, slightly larger than the one in our camper back home, and there is a step up to the bathroom.  A balcony room was a must-have for us and is worth the extra charge in my opinion.  It’s great to have the extra outdoor space and the ability to open the door for fresh air.  I also loved that we were able to take in the views from the privacy of our room. 

I was a little leery of drinking the cruise ship water so I ordered a case of water to be delivered to our room.  I would have brought my own but outside beverages are not allowed on board.  It was convenient to have drinking water in the room and readily available for our shore excursions.  It saved us trips to the buffet to fill our water bottles.  Next time I will order less because we ended up with quite a few unopened bottles even after giving some to our friends. 

No time is wasted on the cruise and the fun activities started immediately!  Every day we received the Freestyle Daily, a paper newsletter of all the activities scheduled for the day plus tons of other helpful information.  On the first night we went to the theater and watched The Beatles Experience, a cover band from Argentina.  They were excellent! 

Then we went to Crank Up the Silence at The Social.  This was a “silent disco”.  The way it works is that everyone wears headphones and music is only played thru the headphones and not out loud.  On the ceiling, there are screens that divide the dance floor into four different music quadrants from different decades of the 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and Today.  As you move around the dance floor, the music automatically changes when you enter a different quadrant.  It’s funny to take the headphones off and watch everyone dancing in “silence” and singing along to the music.  It’s a really fun concept and unique experience!

The second day of the cruise was At Sea.  We were free all day to explore the ship and more activities since we were not stopping at a port.  We spent a good amount of time in the Observation Area on Deck 15.  This is a great place to unwind and lounge in oversized chairs and comfy sofas.  The floor to ceiling windows allowed us to gaze out into the open waters for miles.  Many people had binoculars and would draw attention when they sighted whales or seals. 

In the Atrium, we participated in a ChaCha dance lesson.  Caitlin loved it and jumped out of her chair to join in. 

Later that evening we watched another show of The Beatles Experience.  This time it was in a smaller venue, The Cavern Club, and they did a different set than the other show.  The music for this show was from the Sergeant Pepper era compared to the other show which was mostly their earlier music.  It was another excellent performance!   We also planned a group dinner at Manhattan, one of the complimentary restaurants.  I recommend making dining reservations ahead of time especially if you have a large group.  Reservations can be made 90 days in advance.  The restaurants get booked quickly and wait times can be long.  I made reservations for the two nights that we were at sea because I didn’t think we would make it back on the ship in time on the days were in port.

That’s all for “Part 1” of our Alaska Cruise vacation!

Stay tuned for future posts on the remainder of our trip as we continue on to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, At Sea and Victoria